Associated Problems

The fouling of buildings and monuments frequently occurs at places where they roost and nest. The acidic droppings react with chemicals in the stonework causing erosion of the surfaces. Accumulations of droppings can become infested with mites and insects, which are pests of stored products and houses.
They carry many diseases and can give rise to the following:

• Chlamydosis
• Cryptococcosis
• Campylobacter
• Salmonellosis
• Erysipelas
• Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis (Pigeon Fancier's Lung)
• Histoplasmosis
• Psittacosis

The following organisms and insects can be associated with birds, their nests and droppings:

• Varied Carpet Beetle
• Fur Beetle
• Larder Beetle
• Yellow Mealworm Beetle
• Biscuit Beetle
• Spider Beetles
• Case-bearing Clothes Moth
• Brown House Moth
• White Shouldered House Moth
• Lesser House Fly
• Blowflies
• Cheese Mite
• Flour Mite
• Common Bird Mite
• Pigeon Tick etc

Other problems include

• blocked gutters and downpipes which can cause water damage by seepage coming into the property
• chimneys being blocked causing smoke problems or gasses such as carbon monoxide being forced back into the house

These problems lead to increased costs of maintenance and risk of nuisance to neighbouring properties.
Large numbers of roosting pigeons also give rise to odour and noise complaints, not to mention the risk to health and safety in terms of slipping hazards on pavements and fire escapes from accumulations of droppings.

Life cycle

The feral breeding population is boosted by racing pigeons or escaped birds from domestic lofts. The peak breeding season is between March and July but feral pigeons are capable of breeding all year round.
The brood, usually of two off-white eggs laid on consecutive days, Incubation lasts for about 18 days and the hatched chicks are fledged after about 30 days.
Surprisingly, another clutch can be laid when the young are only 20 days old. This means that up to nine broods can be produced per pair per year.

Control

There are numerous techniques available to combat feral pigeon problems. Handling a pigeon infestation most often requires a combination of products and techniques. Coil, spring wire or bird point all have distinct merits for ledge applications. For exclusion, two inch netting is sufficient, we use only woven and knotted netting for large applications. Any exclusion work should be coupled with some form of flock dispersal such as trapping or shooting. Flock reduction alone is not a long term solution as long as food and attractive shelter remain at the site.